An online review of 20 major local authorities found Liverpool has committed 34 full-time equivalent staff to private-sector housing enforcement. Sheffield, by contrast and of course has been receiving £165,000 in New Burdens funding doesn’t have any plans to appoint any more enforcement officers for 2025/26.
The FOI responses reveal strikingly uneven levels of preparation for the Renters’ Rights Act.
Five councils confirmed their plans for 1 May, showing a wide gulf in staffing and investment:
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Liverpool: 34 full-time equivalent officers solely for private-sector housing
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Brighton & Hove: 4 new FTE posts funded by £150,631
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Newcastle: 2 FTE roles — one enforcement officer and one legal support — backed by £103,000
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Bristol: 2 FTE budgeted, but not until the 2026/27 financial year
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Sheffield: No additional staff planned, despite receiving £165,000 in New Burdens funding
Four councils openly acknowledged that their Renters’ Rights Act enforcement plans are still unfinished. Brent said it “does not hold information” because its approach is still being developed, while Newham reported that it has no staff assigned to Renters’ Rights Act enforcement, no ring-fenced budget, and no formally approved enforcement policy.
Several councils used Freedom of Information exemptions to avoid disclosing their preparedness. Southwark applied Section 22 which was information intended for future publication to refuse disclosure of penalty levels, staffing and budget. It confirmed only that it is “developing a framework” for the 1 May deadline.
Nottingham extended its response deadline to 27 April, just days before the Act takes effect.
This comes after a landlord news information company reported that Wolverhampton has committed £714,000 to landlord-enforcement work — a figure that underlines just how differently councils are gearing up for the Renters’ Rights Act. The developing picture suggests landlords in some areas will face proactive enforcement from day one, while others may see little immediate change.
Twenty councils were surveyed, of which seven did not respond within the statutory FOI timeframe: Westminster, Hackney, Lambeth, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Salford and Coventry. Their silence points to wider capacity pressures authorities struggling to meet basic FOI duties may find it even harder to take on new enforcement responsibilities.
The uneven preparation amounts to a two-speed enforcement landscape. In cities like Liverpool, landlords are likely to encounter active oversight supported by substantial staffing. But in areas where councils have acknowledged they are not yet ready including Brent, Wandsworth, Southwark and Newham it could be likely that enforcement may be slower to materialise in the early stages.
What does not vary, however, are the legal duties themselves. From 1 May, the requirements of the Renters’ Rights Act apply everywhere, and the maximum penalties for non-compliance remain the same whether a council has a team of 34 officers or only a handful.
Across the three councils that were happy to disclose figures, New Burdens allocations total £418,318 averaging just under £140,000 each. The government has indicated that additional funding will follow in 2026/27, though no details have yet been released.